For everyday use, many people find it convenient to carry a small magnifying glass in a wallet or pocket so that it can be readily accessed as needed, normally to assist with reading. However, these magnifying glasses have reduced utility in low ambient light levels.
In the manufacture and repair of small mechanical items, and in other specialist areas, magnifying glasses with illumination sources are used. These include magnifying glasses carrying a halogen lamp for illuminating the viewing field. The major disadvantage of these products include the relatively large dimensions, as well as the high heat evolution from the halogen lamp and high electric power requirements for their operation so that either only stationary power supply devices with no mobility or battery-operated power supply units which are heavy can be used.
While a small magnifying glass and a separate miniature portable flashlight may well be small enough to be carried in a wallet or pocket art, it will be appreciated that there is a need for an integrated magnifying device for use in low ambient light levels. Moreover, because of their small size, the optic surfaces of small portable magnifying glasses are inevitably contacted by the fingers in use, becoming obscured. In low ambient light levels, any obscuring of the optic surfaces further reduces the utility of the lens. It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages or more generally to provide an improved pocket magnifier.